Altruistic to my core, I routinely create intricate desserts well past midnight for birthdays and holidays, or simply to extend kindness to others. I have earned the title of 'mom' among my friends and teammates which humorously reveals the effect of my culinary gestures. Baking requires precision and is affected by many variables, any one of which can drastically alter its outcome. The recipe assumes a perfect environment; it fails if a single discrepancy occurs. Such is life. As a...

This summer, I was selected for the Gifted and Talented Silicon Valley Innovators Summer Launch Program. Eleven students from four countries were chosen out of a global pool of applicants, and I was one of three students who received a merit scholarship. In the intensive eight-week entrepreneurial program, I took courses at Stanford and Berkeley, was mentored by industry leaders, toured tech giants, and joined a diverse community who became some of my closest friends. In Silicon Valley, I created...

What I do right now directly affects my future. However, my actions impact far more than just myself, they inevitably affect others either positively or negatively. I strive to make a positive impact. As such, social entrepreneurship has manifested among my passions. Two years ago, I discovered I loved photography but realized that only a fraction of people could afford a photographer. I began offering my services to the underprivileged in my community at no cost through founding the nonprofit...

This summer, my mentor Bill Radulovich, or “Mr. Rad” as he prefers, assigned a name to the abstract concept I had been pursuing all of my life: social entrepreneurship. As a renewable energy expert, Mr. Rad has indisputably achieved the very quality I value most—impact—in both his professional and personal spheres. Since I share similar interests in technology, business, and social responsibility, I realized can simultaneously be successful and ethical using the former to accomplish the latter. Prior...

From nannying, petsitting, and camp counseling, to social media managing, tutoring, and managing Photo Booth events, I have always spent significant time working each summer. On the other hand, I dedicated much of my time to academic programs. My interest in technology led me to attend The University of Texas’ engineering camp, engineering summits, and teach myself computer science. I began learning Java and HTML two summers ago which contributed to my longterm goal of starting a technology company. My...

I’m eight-years-old. I sift through an offensively bedazzled jewelry display at Justice. If you are unfamiliar with this store, consider yourself lucky. These likely hazardous accessories were the status symbol of elementary school. Never one to accept the status quo, I disrupted Justice’s monopoly by creating my own jewelry that I sold to my classmates and their parents. Soon, my creations prevailed over my commercialized competitors. After discovering my passion for entrepreneurship, I started three more business ventures...

When I create, I feel alive. Similarly, I am driven by my innate desire to improve processes and innovate solutions. This aspect of my character manifests itself into a passion for social entrepreneurship. Two years ago, I discovered an interest in photography but realized that only a fraction of people could afford a photographer. In response, I founded the nonprofit organization Giving Images. I began offering my services to the underprivileged in my community at no cost. From professional headshots...

At the GATSVI Summer Launch Program, I discovered the pervasive disengagement among adolescents in American schools, especially in disadvantaged areas. Yet, schools and nonprofits are not sufficiently addressing this issue. Typical of my nature, I was determined to help the 1.2 million students who drop out of high school annually (US Department of Education). I developed my startup idea, AspireMe. It will provide equitable education and inspiration for America’s youth through socio-emotional learning at the most crucial developmental period. Through...

I have always been obsessed with the words why and how. Why does a computer work? How can I improve it? Countless variations of questions beginning with those two words typified my past and present, formed my problem-solving nature, and will lead me to my future. Throughout my life, my multifaceted interests have yielded a clear intention to bridge the disparity between society and technology. Numbers always made sense to me; I can lose hours simplifying equations, deriving formulas, and...